Pete was an adopted dog whose owners run a dog walking and pet sitting service. He was out hiking with his owner and the pack in the Greenwood Lake, New York, area on Sunday, when they accidentally startled a black bear. While the other dogs and his owner escaped to safety, Pete stayed behind to protect them.

The story, which went viral after it was shared by a friend of the owner on Twitter, can be read in full below.

A condensed version of the story was shared on Twitter by journalist Ben White, where it's since been shared over 28,000 times.

So our friends lost their sweet setter Pete today. He and some other dogs surprised a black bear while on a hike. Pete bravely protected the rest of the crew who got to safety. Pete later succumbed to his injuries. He was an older guy and went out a true hero. RIP PETE THE HERO! pic.twitter.com/a3W5q9DHbc

Thanks so much to all for the huge outpouring of love for sweet, brave Pete. If you want to meet his owners, check out @mmspets on here and Insta where you will see Pete in action... https://t.co/Ki7HP2YYLJ

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